


Maiden Voyage

by valis2



Category: Riptide (TV)
Genre: Angst, Drama, Future Fic, M/M, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-14
Updated: 2011-03-14
Packaged: 2017-10-19 15:36:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/202430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valis2/pseuds/valis2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick always goes along with Cody's ideas.  Even when he's not so sure about them.  Notes:  Several months ago, I heard about a really intriguing career for a timeshare boat captain, and I thought it was perfect for Cody.  And this blossomed in my head, and I wrote down the first bit of it, and now I've written the rest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Maiden Voyage

"Cody, you sure she's gonna pay us?" asked Nick, wiping his hands on a rag. "Diesel's not getting any cheaper, y'know."

"Of course she is," said Cody, turning to the next page of the newspaper. "We've been through this already, Nick. You just need to trust me."

"Yeah, well, I trusted you about the Hardy Boys adventure, didn't I? And look where that got us." Nick sat down, ignoring the warning look Cody gave him over the paper. "I trusted you about that guy at Jimmy's bar, and he broke my nose."

Cody groaned. "I thought we both agreed you wouldn't bring that up again."

"Well, I'm bringing it up." Nick glared back at him. "Along with the night you told Little Davie Amherst that there were vampire bats in the barracks--"

"Nick, listen to me," said Cody, dropping the newspaper to the table. "I know these women. I grew up around this kind of woman, remember? They're all just like my mom. They want to go out on their yacht, have some champagne, and spend the night on the water. That's why this is perfect for me--us."

"Timeshare captain," snorted Nick. "Doesn't--"

"This is our first account, Nick. We can't afford to screw it up. If Mrs. Harris likes our work, she'll tell her friends about us, and they'll tell their friends, and soon we have six or seven accounts. I handle all the driving and the scheduling, and you handle the maintenance." Cody looked like he was losing patience. "You agreed to it, and if you want to back out, then you'd better back out now, before we commit anything more to this."

"I'm not backing out," said Nick defensively. "I just...it's..."

Cody's tone turned soft, and he reached out and touched Nick on the arm. "I know. You're worried. But nothing's going to happen. They're just bored, rich housewives. I know how to handle them."

"Fine." Nick stared at the table.

"You'll see. Some of them will be cheap, some generous, and I guarantee you, after a year, we won't have to eat peanut butter sandwiches for weeks on end."

"Yeah, well, when that diesel bill comes due at the end of the month, if we don't get paid, we'll be wishing for those peanut butter sandwiches." He exhaled. "That monster holds three hundred gallons, Cody."

"I know. You've told me this three times already."

Nick counted to fourteen before he continued. "When are you supposed to meet them?"

"Another hour." Cody went back to his paper, squinting and holding it further away, and Nick wished he'd just admit he needed reading glasses.

"How 'bout I make us some dinner? You hungry?"

"No, I ate already."

"You ate?" Nick blinked in surprise.

"Well, yes," said Cody, a little defensively. "I didn't know when you were coming back. I mean, I thought you wouldn't be done so quickly."

"I told you it was just..." He rubbed at a black mark on his thumb. "Okay, yeah, I'll just make myself a sandwich."

"There's no bread left."

"Damn. Pizza it is."

"Here." Cody pulled out his wallet and handed him a twenty. "Don't wait up for me tonight."

"I won't." The words seemed hollow, of course, because they were. Nick called in a double pepperoni pizza and then washed his hands, scrubbing hard with Lava soap. The grease was stubborn but eventually he scoured it off. Back in the salon, Cody had vanished, leaving the newspaper in disarray. Nick picked up the sections and put it back together as he looked for the sports page, which turned out to be on the bench seat.

Cody reemerged, wearing skintight white slacks and a cream-colored sweater.

Nick raised his eyebrows. "Whoa, Cody, did you put some cologne on, or fall in a vat of it?"

"I told you not to worry," said Cody, bending down and kissing him, his lips hot and sweet and still able to steal Nick's breath away in a fraction of a second, even after two decades. "Love you," he added after he broke the kiss.

"Sure. Love you too." Nick rubbed the back of his neck and looked up at Cody, trying to smile.

"I think Mrs. Harris is the punctual type," said Cody, pulling the keys for the _Gina Lou_ off the hook. "I'm going to get there early, set things up."

"Oh sure," said Nick. "Gotta make sure the champagne is chilled..." He tried to keep his tone even.

Cody gave him a look. _I can see right through you, you know._ "How about a little fishing tomorrow? The weather's going to be nice."

"Don't know. I might have to overhaul Mimi's carburetor again."

"Just a thought. Bye."

"Bye." Nick watched him get off the _Riptide_ and board the _Gina Lou_. Part of him knew that it was just churlish not to go help him cast off, but part of him couldn't stop picturing Cody, surrounded by Mrs. Harris and her friends, all drinking champagne and staring at his skin-tight pants. He took a deep breath.

 _He'll be fine._

In his head they were circling like sharks, red-taloned fingers holding crystal glasses, golden bracelets dangling on tanned arms, their vulture eyes never leaving Cody's ass.

"Hey, hello?" called a voice from above. "Pizza..."

"Right here," said Nick, jumping up.

The pizza was too doughy, and Nick gave up after only a piece or two. Tomorrow he'd stick it on a cookie sheet, crisp it in the oven a little more, but tonight he just wasn't that hungry. He felt lonely, and called and talked to Murray, listened to his latest amazing software development, promising to take the whole family up in Mimi next week.

The sunset was gorgeous, and Nick tried not to think of how he wasn't sharing it with Cody. How Cody was sharing it with bored housewife sharks who were at that very moment plotting how best to get him into the queen-sized bed in the main stateroom. How to get that gorgeous body undressed, how to touch him, how to bring out those amazing sounds he made right before he--

 _You are being an idiot. You know that, right?_ He took a deep breath and then gulped down half his beer. _He loves you. He'll be back soon, and then you can show him how much you missed him._

Somehow the voice of reason was not helping. He stared out across the water, watching as the stars began to emerge. _Those barracudas better not touch him._

He went back into the salon and tried to watch a little TV. It didn't help. Every channel had a show with jilted lovers or a movie with cheating spouses. He turned it off.

Cleaning didn't distract him like it usually did, and he gave up after the galley. Reading a magazine was a lost cause; his eyes were moving, but none of the words registered. His mind kept circling back to Cody, sharing toasts of champagne with the barracuda housewife sharks, smiling his most charming smile as they bared their teeth.

He gave up and thought about going to bed. Maybe if he fell asleep, it would all disappear, and he would wake up tomorrow in Cody's arms, safe and sound.

Brushing his teeth, he stared at himself in the mirror, noticing his furrowed brow. He willed himself to relax.

It didn't work. He got into the full-size bunk they'd switched the twins for, and lay on his side, wide awake.

The minutes ticked by, slow and cold.

 _Cody is fine._

 _Cody knows what he's doing._

 _Cody knows how to handle women like that._

Women like his mom, he'd said. Nick frowned, scratching his five o'clock shadow. Women from the same background he'd come from, where champagne flowed easily, and people wore tuxes regularly, and there were galas to attend and money piled everywhere.

 _Pretty much the opposite of me._ Nick's frown deepened. He remembered the few times they'd run into people from Cody's old yachting club, or friends of his family. The haves. Cody always slipped right back into it, smiling, shaking hands, looking effortlessly charming.

What if he'd been missing it? What if he wanted to go to elaborate cocktail parties and schmooze with classy people--classy women with a ring that could have paid for the home Nick grew up in--

He exhaled. _You're going to make yourself crazy._

His mind spun, buzzing and whirling, and he put his pillow over his head, hoping to block everything out.

It only got louder.

He got up and went back out on the fantail. The breeze off the water was cool, and he sat, rubbing his arms, feeling the wind ruffle his already tousled hair. The moon was nearly full, rising in the east, and it lit the harbor's wavelets, making them glitter. A beautiful night. A night he'd normally spend with Cody, feet hooked together comfortably as they both sat on the fantail seat.

Every motor made his heart race, expecting the _Gina Lou_ , but none of them were the big cabin cruiser, and finally he went back to bed and stared at the ceiling.

Around two a.m. he heard it, the unmistakable sound of a freshly-tuned diesel engine motoring across the harbor. It got closer and closer, and then cut out, and he felt the dock nudge against the _Riptide_ , the floats squeaking as they rubbed against the boat. He heard whistling, the sound of shoes on wood, and then the slight shift as someone came aboard.

A few thumps, a muffled curse, the sound of water running in the head. The door to their room opened and Cody came in. "Nick? You still awake?"

"If I wasn't, I am now," muttered Nick.

"Oh, good." Cody sounded happy. Relaxed. "This is easy money, Nick, easy money. The ladies had a great time. One of them, Mrs. Shaw, she wants to sign up for our services, too. She's in the middle of buying her own cruiser. You know, if this keeps going so well, we'll be able to pay Murray back even faster than I thought."

"Great."

"I think we could even get a little more out of it if we made it more special." Cody's voice sounded dreamy, like it always did when he was thinking of new business ventures. "Like if we could...I don't know...cook them dinner or something. Bring some movies. There's gotta be a way to give us an edge, you know? Maybe if we advertised Italian cooking...barbecue..."

"Yeah." The faintest scent of perfume reached his nose, something floral and feminine.

"We'll have to ask Murray to figure out some way of scheduling things. Maybe the Roboz can handle that for us, so we don't double-book." More thumps; Cody's shoes hitting the floor, and then there was the whisper of fabric as he took off his sweater. "I was thinking that we need to go over our rates again, make sure we have everything figured in." The bunk dipped as Cody sat down and pulled off his pants. "Nick?"

"Right here."

"Are you okay?"

"Sure. Yeah." Nick turned toward him, his heart constricted in his chest.

Cody got under the covers, and grabbed his hand, his fingers cool to the touch. "Hey, I know this is all pretty new, but I'm serious--I think this could be a really great thing for us. You cooking, me piloting...are you even listening to me?"

"Cooking?"

"Nick?" Cody was so close, his skin cool, and he pressed a kiss to the side of Nick's mouth. "You've been up all night, haven't you?"

"Maybe."

"Baby, nothing happened, just like I said. They flirted...I flirted, a little, but you know why. It's for business. Just business. This was a really great first trip, and it's just like I expected. They're too classy to push it. They've all got husbands and boyfriends and none of them would ever really make a pass at me, okay? And if they did, you know I wouldn't go for it. Even if it cost us the job." He kissed him again, gentle and sweet, and then moved their linked hands lower. "Feel that?"

Cody was as hard as a rock.

"You know why I'm so hard?" he said in a seductive growl. "Because I've been thinking about you, naked, the whole way home. Nick, you are so unbelievable hot, so gorgeous, your lips, your body...want you so _bad_..." Cody's kiss got hotter and wetter, and Nick felt himself rising, his heart pumping. "I've been imagining just what I was going to do to you when I came back."

"Which was..."

"To fuck you senseless, baby, of course." Cody rolled on top of him, rubbing against him, his long lean body like heaven. Nick groaned and kissed him back, tentative at first and then fierce with need.

"Want you, too." Nick rolled him on his back, getting on top, holding him down and biting his neck, sucking at the tender flesh while he gyrated against him, slow and raw. Cody moaned, grabbing the sheets with both hands, getting breathless as Nick licked the light bite mark. The perfume had faded away, and now he could smell Cody's familiar cologne, too strong, making him drunk.

Cody lay pliant underneath him, but only for another heartbeat, and then he fought again, successfully pinning him against the mattress, his hands closing around Nick's wrists. "Two can play that game," he said in a low voice that made Nick's cock throb. He licked the shell of his ear, his hot tongue tracing the edge while Nick whimpered, his arms immobile. Wrapping his legs around Cody's waist, he rubbed against him, the feel of their cocks together so sexy that he moaned.

"Wait--let me--" Cody's voice was breathless, and he let go of Nick. There was a crash as the lamp fell off the nightstand, as it nearly always did when Cody was fumbling in the dark for the lube. Sure enough, Cody's slick fingers were on him, first stroking his cock, then trailing lower, penetrating him and opening him and making him beg for more.

"Want you so bad. C'mon, Cody--"

"Oh yeah, you're gonna get it," said Cody. Fingers were replaced with Cody's cock, harder and thicker and much hotter, and he eased his way in, panting. Nick clenched his teeth until the burn faded, and then Cody began to move, slowly, pulling nearly all the way out and then back in again, and Nick whined in the back of his throat. "Love you so much, baby."

"Love you--too--c'mon, faster--"

But Cody didn't respond, simply drawing out the pleasure until Nick was nearly crying with the need to come. Cody leaned over him, kissing him thoroughly, his body wet with sweat.

"Damnit, Cody, faster, _now_ \-- _please_ \--"

Cody repositioned himself, straightening up, and then began to thrust in earnest, fast and hard and just how Nick wanted it. Sparks were flying between them, and Nick could feel every muscle in his body tightening, desperate for release, his cock throbbing and needy while Cody hit his prostate unerringly. Then Cody's hand was on his cock, slick and perfect, the friction building, and Nick was coming, a long drawn-out cry pouring out of his throat as waves of come pulsed over his belly. Cody followed, as he always did, his thrusting turning erratic, making guttural moans as he came.

He collapsed on top of Nick, sweaty and out of breath, and Nick kissed his neck, tasting the salt of him, inhaling the delicious musky scent of him under the cologne, running his hands down his back.

"Oh god that was good," said Cody, rolling to one side, still breathing heavily. "You are so fucking hot..."

"You're not so bad yourself." Nick reached for a tissue and cleaned off his chest, as best as he could in the dark, and then turned to Cody, giving him a long, lazy kiss. Sleep was already pressing down on him. "Sorry...that I was an ass. I just..."

"It's okay," said Cody. "You're my ass, and that's what counts."

Nick blinked. "Hey..."

"Just sleep, Nick," said Cody, a grin in his voice. "Love you."

"Love you, too." Nick pulled him close, entwining his legs with Cody's, like they used to do when they slept in one of the tiny twin bunks. "Always."

"Of course, baby." Cody kissed him on the forehead, his hand stroking the small of Nick's back. "Always for me, too."

"Tomorrow we'll talk about the cooking," said Nick drowsily. "And cutting back on the cologne."

He fell asleep to the sound of Cody's quiet laugh.


End file.
